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• Donkey Kong Wall Shelves [DIY Project Inspiration]

  - by Asian Angel

  Are you looking for inspiration for a geeky DIY project to get into over the holiday weekend? Then take a look at this fantastic looking set of Donkey Kong wall shelves created by artist Igor Chak! From the website: So here is a Donkey Kong wall, strong, good looking but still has its character. The wall is made out of individual sections; each section is made out of durable but light carbon fiber, anodized aluminum pixels that are joined with strong stainless steel rods and toughened glass tops. The special mounts themselves are made out of steel and can support up to 60 lbs. Igor’s notes and additional images for the project can be found approximately half way down the webpage linked below. If Donkey Kong is not your favorite game, this could still inspire a shelving project focused on the one you like best! Donkey Kong Wall [via Neatorama] HTG Explains: Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows? Java is Insecure and Awful, It’s Time to Disable It, and Here’s How What Are the Windows A: and B: Drives Used For?

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• Pyro Jam Can Is a DIY Mini Ruben’s Tube

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this year we showed you how to make a full-size Ruben’s Tube; now make a tiny single-column fire speaker with the Pyro Jam Can. Instructables’ user Patrick needed a simple device to enter into an Instuctables contest centered on fire-themed projects. His contribution, seen in the video above, is a single-column Ruben’s Tube (for the unfamiliar, a Ruben’s Tube is a device through which sound and flammable gas are passed; the resulting flame is modulated by the frequency of the sound). If your next party wouldn’t be the same without a sound system that pumps bass beats and fire, you know where to get started. The Pyro Jam Can [via Hack A Day] Use Amazon’s Barcode Scanner to Easily Buy Anything from Your Phone How To Migrate Windows 7 to a Solid State Drive Follow How-To Geek on Google+

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• Polished DIY Projector Is Painted Right onto the Wall

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re contemplating building a projector screen but find yourself not entirely unhappy with just projecting right onto the wall, this simple paint-it-on-the-wall upgrade is for you. Check out the above video to see the steps required to patch, paint, and frame a space on your wall to serve as a projection screen. You’ll need spackle, sandpaper, white paint, and some very basic carpentry skills to complete the simple wood frame for your painted-on screen. If you’d like to create a screen using the same technique but make it removable (for adjustments or to take it with you when you move out) you can just as easily use the paint-it-on technique with a piece of hardboard instead of the drywall. [via Hack A Day] HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using? HTG Explains: What The Windows Event Viewer Is and How You Can Use It HTG Explains: How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks

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• DIY Sunrise Alarm Clock Sports a Polished Build and Perfect Time Keeping

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  We’ve seen our fair share of sunrise simulators, but by far this one is the most polished build–everything from the atomic clock circuit to the LEDs are all packed cleanly in a frosted acrylic case. Renaud Schleck, the tinker behind the build, describes the guts: This is an alarm clock simulating the sunrise, which means that a few minutes before the alarm goes off, it shines some light whose brightness increases over time. The alarm clock is built around a MSP430G2553 microcontroller compatible with the MSP430 Launchpad from Texas Instrument. It features a DCF77 module which sets the clock automatically through radio waves. How to Factory Reset Your Android Phone or Tablet When It Won’t Boot Our Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 is Now Available Everywhere How To Boot Your Android Phone or Tablet Into Safe Mode

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• Clever DIY Display Showcases Game Consoles While Concealing Cables

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  How do you display all your vintage game consoles while keeping them in a clutter free and ready-to-play state? This wall-mounted display does a great job showing off the retro gear while keeping everything tidy. Courteys of German tinker and gamer Holger, the design of the display is deceptively simple. The wall mount is a basic 2×4 frame wrapped in black roofing batten (similar to the lightweight weed-fabric used in gardens). Screw-in mounts for the LACK shelves are positioned every foot or so going up the frame and a small slit in the fabric allows for hidden routing of the cables. While it looks like the consoles are simply on display, they’re actually all hooked up and ready to play. For more photos of the build, hit up the link below. LACK Video Console Shelf with Hidden Cables [IKEAHacker] 7 Ways To Free Up Hard Disk Space On Windows HTG Explains: How System Restore Works in Windows HTG Explains: How Antivirus Software Works

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• Obsolete Computer Parts as Art [DIY]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re like most geeks, you’ve got a box of aging computer equipment you just haven’t got around to hauling to your city’s haz-mat drop off site. This simple tutorial turns cast off circuit boards into wall art. While the author of the tutorial opted to use motherboards, you could easily use smaller frames/mats and use old expansion boards too. The process involves inexpensive IKEA frames with mats, popping the I/O ports off the boards to make them thinner, and drilling small mount holes in the backer board to mount the boards in place. Hit up the link below for more details. Motherboard Art [via IKEAHackers] How to Use an Xbox 360 Controller On Your Windows PC Download the Official How-To Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic

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• DIY Door Lock Grants Access via RFID

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re looking to lighten the load on your pocket and banish the jingling of keys, this RFID-key hack makes your front door keycard accessible–and even supports groups and user privileges. Steve, a DIYer and Hack A Day reader, was looking for a solution to a simple problem: he wanted to easily give his friends access to his home without having to copy lots of keys and bulk up their key rings. Since all his friends already carried a Boston public transit RFID card the least intrusive solution was to hack his front door to support RFID cards. His Arduino-based solution can store up to 50 RFID card identifiers, supports group-based access, and thanks to a little laser cutting and stain the project enclosure blends in with the Victorian styling of his home’s facade. Hit up the link below to see his code–for a closer look at the actual enclosure check out this photo gallery. RFID Front Door Lock [via Hack A Day] HTG Explains: What is DNS? How To Switch Webmail Providers Without Losing All Your Email How To Force Windows Applications to Use a Specific CPU

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• The Inebriator: A DIY Arduino-powered Cocktail Machine [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  We’ve seen our fair share of geeky alcohol-related projects over the years but this, this, is something to see. The Inebriator is the slickest automated drink machine we’ve laid eyes on. Before we even start talking specs, check out the video above–don’t forget to first assure your liver that you don’t actually have access to such a magnificent device and it can remain calm. As dazzled as we were? The whole thing is powered by an Arduino Mega 2560, sports a cooler with nitrogen pressurization of drink mix bottles, and relies on a rather ingenious and elegantly simple 12v valve system. It even has an RFID security system to prevent party goers with a few drinks in them from messing up the custom drink menu. Hit up the link below for more information, including photos of the guts and technical specs. The Inebriator [via Hack A Day] Java is Insecure and Awful, It’s Time to Disable It, and Here’s How What Are the Windows A: and B: Drives Used For? HTG Explains: What is DNS?

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• Roll Your Own DIY Solar-Powered Security Camera Setup

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re looking to set up a security camera without running power or video lines, this solar-powered version combines a cheap Wi-Fi cam with a home-rolled solar setup to provide surveillance without wires. Courtesy of Reddit user CheapGuitar, the setup combines a dirt cheap off-brand Wi-Fi security camera, a Tupperware container spray painted black, some old camping solar panels, and a battery into a security camera that checks in as long as it’s in range of a Wi-Fi router or repeater. Hit up the link below to check out the build guide. Solar Powered Camera [via Hack A Day] HTG Explains: What Is Windows RT & What Does It Mean To Me? HTG Explains: How Windows 8′s Secure Boot Feature Works & What It Means for Linux Hack Your Kindle for Easy Font Customization

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• Make Your Own Origami Star Wars Ships [D.I.Y. Fun]

  - by Asian Angel

  So there you are with a bit of time to kill at work on Friday afternoon or perhaps you are looking for something fun to get into over weekend…what to do? Perhaps an origami project building an awesome fleet of Star Wars ships is the perfect thing to get into! Once you visit the website click on the Gallery Link to view multiple pictures of specific ships or go to Gallery - Diagrams to download your own copy of the ‘Diagrams + Crease Patterns’ that Martin has made available online so far. Here is the video with step-by-step-instructions for making a Naboo Starfighter… Note: Visiting the YouTube link for this video will show more videos by various individuals in the sidebar area for more Star Wars origami goodness! 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7 HTG Explains: Why It’s Good That Your Computer’s RAM Is Full 10 Awesome Improvements For Desktop Users in Windows 8

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• DIY Sunrise Simulator Combines Microchips, LEDs, and Laser Cut Goodness

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Sunrise simulators use a gradually brightening light to wake you in the morning. Check out this creative build that combines a microprocessor, addressable LEDs, and a nifty laser-cut bracket to yield a polished and wall-mountable alarm clock lamp. Courtesy of NYC-based tinker Holly, the project features a detailed build guide that references all the other projects that inspired her sunrise simulator. Hit up the link below to check out everything from her laser cut shade brackets to the Adafruit module she used to control the light timing. Sunrise Lamp Alarm Clock [via Make] How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using?

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• Inverted LACK Table Serves as a Perfect Gear Rack [DIY]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  We’ve seen IKEA gear hacked to hold audio and computer gear before, but this mod adds in a simple and effective twist. LACK end tables are, conveniently, the same width as a standard server rack. This makes it super simple for DIYers to mount their gear right into the legs of the table with no modification necessary. In this case, however, Winston Smith included a clever update to the mod. Rather than leave it like a standard table, he flipped the table upside down for increased stability and a stronger connection between the legs of his improvised audio rack and the table-top-turned-floor-plate. He then finished it with a matching LACK shelf piece to serve as a turn-table stand. His gear is stored cleanly, off the floor, and in a sturdy container all for about $25–a definite bargain when it comes to storage racks. Hit up the link below for more information and pictures. LACK Rack & EXPEDIT Desktop [IKEA Hackers] HTG Explains: How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks HTG Explains: Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows? Java is Insecure and Awful, It’s Time to Disable It, and Here’s How

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• DIY Touch Screen Mod Makes Regular Gloves Smartphone-friendly

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Smartphone-friendly winter gloves are expensive (and often ugly). Skip shelling out for store-bought gloves when, armed with a needle and thread, you can turn any gloves into smartphone-friendly ones. Over at Popular Science, Taylor Kubota shares the simple trick: 1. Order silver-plated nylon thread (silver conducts electricity). This can be difficult to find in stores, but major online retailers carry it. 2. Pick a pair of gloves to modify. Although leather works, it’s harder to push a needle through. 3. Stitch the figure of a star or other solid shape onto the glove’s index finger with the thread, making sure it will contact both the touchscreen and your skin. Our Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 is Now Available Everywhere How To Boot Your Android Phone or Tablet Into Safe Mode HTG Explains: Does Your Android Phone Need an Antivirus?

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• DIY Wirelessly Charged LED Lanterns

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this year we shared a clever project that turned LEDs, batteries, and PVC into mini, waterproof, and virtually indestructible lanterns. This remake of the project makes the units rechargeable. Our favorite part about this project–the upgrade to an older project and the introduction of wireless charging aside–is the fact that the maker behind it is 15 years old. It’s great to see younger people taking an interest in tinkering! Wirelessly Charged Indestructible Lantern [via Hacked Gadgets] HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It? HTG Explains: What Is Windows RT and What Does It Mean To Me? HTG Explains: How Windows 8′s Secure Boot Feature Works & What It Means for Linux

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• Remove a Digital Camera’s IR Filter for IR Photography on the Cheap

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Whether you have a DSLR or a point-and-shoot, this simple hack allows you to shoot awesome IR photographs without the expense of a high-quality IR filter (or the accompanying loss of light that comes with using it). How does it work? You’ll need to take apart your camera and remove a single fragile layer of IR blocking glass from the CCD inside the camera body. After doing so, you’ll have a camera that sees infrared light by default, no special add-on filters necessary. Because it sees the IR light without the filters you’ll also skip out on the light loss that occurs with the addition of the add-on IR filter. The downside? You’re altering the camera in permanent and warranty-voiding way. This is most definitely not a hack for your brand new $2,000 DSLR, but it is a really fun hack to try out on an old point and shoot camera or your circa-2004 depreciated DSLR. Hit up the link below to see the process performed on an old Canon point and shoot–we’d strongly recommend searching for a break down guide for your specific camera model before attempting the trick on your own gear. Are You Brave Enough to IR-ize Your Camera [DIY Photography] HTG Explains: How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks HTG Explains: Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows? Java is Insecure and Awful, It’s Time to Disable It, and Here’s How

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• 24 DIY Softbox Designs for Cheap and Flexible Photography Lighting [DIY]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re looking for just the right softbox for your budget and photography needs this collection of 24 great softbox designs is bound to have the perfect fit. At DIY Photography they hosted a DIY softbox contest. Out of the 70 entries they culled it down to the top 24 designs and rounded up the photo tours and build guides for you to browse. You can build the foamcore and CFL model seen in the photo above by following the build guide here. Hit up the link below to check out all the other designs that range from full body softboxes to on-camera softboxes. How To Build 24 DIY Softboxes [DIY Photography via Make] HTG Explains: Photography with Film-Based CamerasHow to Clean Your Dirty Smartphone (Without Breaking Something)What is a Histogram, and How Can I Use it to Improve My Photos?

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• Hack Your Lights for Remote Control

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  This clever hack combines a modified wall switch with unused buttons on a universal remote to create one-touch wireless control of the lighting in a media room. Andrew, the tinker behind this home theater hack, writes: I really liked the idea of controlling my “Home Theater” lights with a remote (TV or other), this would save me the exhausting task of heaving myself off the couch to turn the lights on or off. I found one of my remotes has a spare power button, its one of those stupid “universal” remotes that comes with DVD players or TVs but only work if you have all the same brand equipment, I don’t so this made a good option for a light switch. Hit up the link below to check out more photos of his project and download the source code. Why Does 64-Bit Windows Need a Separate “Program Files (x86)” Folder? Why Your Android Phone Isn’t Getting Operating System Updates and What You Can Do About It How To Delete, Move, or Rename Locked Files in Windows

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• Geek Chess: Nixie Tubes as Board Pieces [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  We’ve seen some geeky chessboards in our day, but this board is a masterpiece of geekiness. Check out the video to see the Nixie tubes in action. Courtesy of a tinker named Tony, we find this delightfully analog and geeky chess set. He writes: This developed as a spinoff from the hardware and controllers I’m designing for a range of nixie clocks and watches as a ‘simple’ project that wouldn’t need much software to complete it. All visible parts are made from materials contemporary with Nixie technology and no modern plastics or resins are used anywhere in its’ consruction (other than the electronic components and PCBs). The board and pieces are machined from phenolic resin laminate and assembled using brass fittings. The brown base pieces have been filled and wiped with gold and silver engravers wax, giving a ‘worn gilding’ appearance. The displays are ex-Soviet Nixie gas display tubes, manufactured in the early 1980s. No Chinese LEDs here… How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It?

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• Repurpose Old Phones As Intercoms

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’ve got some old wired telephones laying around for want of a project, this simple hack turns two wired phones into an intercom. Over at Hack A Day, Caleb Kraft shares his simple phone hack inspired by his VW bus. He writes: In case you haven’t noticed from my many comments on the subject, I drive a VW bus. It is a 1976 Westfalia camper with sage green paint and green plaid upholstery. I absolutely love it and so does the rest of my family. We go for drives in the country as well as camping regularly. We have found that the kids have a hard time communicating with us while we’re going higher speeds. These things aren’t the quietest automobiles in the world. Pushing this bread loaf shaped hunk of steel down the road with an engine that might top out at 75hp results in wind noise, engine noise, and of course, vibration. I decided to employ a really old hack to put two functional telephones in the bus so my kids can talk to my wife (or whoever the passenger is) without screaming quite so loud. This hack is extremely easy, fairly cheap, and can be done in just a few minutes. The result is a functional intercom that you could use pretty much anywhere! For more pics of his setup (and a neat video of his rather retro ride), check out the link below. Hack Your Kindle for Easy Font Customization HTG Explains: What Is RSS and How Can I Benefit From Using It? HTG Explains: Why You Only Have to Wipe a Disk Once to Erase It

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• Hack a Wireless Doorbell for Customizable Ring Tones

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  When it comes to door bells, why limit yourself to a simple bell toll when you could be alerted to visitors by the Super Mario Bros. theme? This customizable doorbell hack brings ring tones to your front door. Check out the video above to see it assembled and in action, then hit up the link below for the wiring diagrams and step-by-step instructions. How to Add Custom Ringtones to a Wireless Doorbell [via Hacked Gadgets] How To Use USB Drives With the Nexus 7 and Other Android Devices Why Does 64-Bit Windows Need a Separate “Program Files (x86)” Folder? Why Your Android Phone Isn’t Getting Operating System Updates and What You Can Do About It

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• How to Make a Laser Microscope at Home [Video]

  - by Asian Angel

  Earlier this year we shared a video that showed you how to make a microscope projector using a green laser light and a webcam lens. Today we are back with a video demonstrating an easy “at home” method using that same green laser light, a syringe, two glasses, and a blank wall. Note: Video contains some language that may be considered inappropriate. How to make a laser microscope [via Geeks are Sexy] Use Amazon’s Barcode Scanner to Easily Buy Anything from Your Phone How To Migrate Windows 7 to a Solid State Drive Follow How-To Geek on Google+

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• CircuitLab Offers Easy Circuit Building on the Web and iPad

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you like to sketch out your circuit designs rapidly, cleanly, and on the web or your iPad, CircuitLab makes it dead simple. The free tool includes an easy drag-and-drop interface, circuit analysis, easy printing, and more. Watch the video above to see the creators of CircuitLab whipping up a simple circuit to showcase the app, then hit up the link below to try it out. CircuitLab [via Hacked Gadgets] How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It? HTG Explains: What Is Windows RT and What Does It Mean To Me?

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• Hack a Linksys Router into a Ambient Data Monitor

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you have a data source (like a weather report, bus schedule, or other changing data set) you can pull it and display it with an ambient data monitor; this fun build combines a hacked Linksys router and a modified toy bus to display transit arrival times. John Graham-Cumming wanted to keep an eye on the current bus arrival time tables without constantly visiting the web site to check them. His workaround turns a hacked Linksys router, a display, a modified London city bus (you could hack apart a more project-specific enclosure, of course), and a simple bit code that polls the bus schedule’s API, into a cool ambient data monitor that displays the arrival time, in minutes, of the next two buses that will pass by his stop. The whole thing could easily be adapted to another API to display anything from stock prices to weather temps. Hit up the link below for more information on the project. Ambient Bus Arrival Monitor Hacked from Linksys Router [via Make] Make Your Own Windows 8 Start Button with Zero Memory Usage Reader Request: How To Repair Blurry Photos HTG Explains: What Can You Find in an Email Header?

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• Introduction to Reading Electronics Schematics [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re interested in electronics tinkering but a bit overwhelmed by learning electronics schematics, this helpful introductory video will get you started. Courtesy of Make magazine, this video tutorial covers what a schematic is, how schematics are laid out, and the basics of reading a schematic and its component symbols. When you’re done with the video you’ll have a better grasp of electronics circuit schematics than most of the population and, hopefully, and increased comfort reading schematics for all those DIY projects we post here. Collin’s Lab: Schematics [Make via Hacked Gadgets] HTG Explains: When Do You Need to Update Your Drivers? How to Make the Kindle Fire Silk Browser *Actually* Fast! Amazon’s New Kindle Fire Tablet: the How-To Geek Review

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• DIY Panoramic Head Dirt Cheap Solution for Panoramic Photos [DIY]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Professional panoramic tripod heads are quite expensive; this DIY solution is put together with scrap wood and a handful of cheap parts from the hardware store and gets the job done just as well. If you’re not looking to impress anyone and willing to sacrifice a little compactness, this simple build can save you a ton of cash. Over at Rasterweb Pete Prodoehl shares photos and video of his DIY panoramic head built out of nothing but scrap wood he had around the work shop plus a hinge, some angle brackets, and screws/nuts/bolts. All very cheap hardware store fare. Hit up the link below to see his build and sample photos. Panoramic Tripod Head [Rasterweb via Make] What is a Histogram, and How Can I Use it to Improve My Photos?How To Easily Access Your Home Network From Anywhere With DDNSHow To Recover After Your Email Password Is Compromised

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